Pakistan (Urdu:
پاکستان ),
officially the
Islamic Republic of
Pakistan, is a
country in the Greater Middle East
and South Asia. It
is located in the
region where South
Asia converges with
Central Asia and
the Middle East.
It has a 1,046
kilometre (650 mile)
coastline along the
Arabian Sea in
the south, and is
bordered by Afghanistan and
Iran in the
west,
India in the
east and China in the far
northeast.

Pakistan is the
sixth most populous
country in the
world and has
one of the largest
Muslim populations
in the world. It
was part of British India
prior to partition in
1947 and has a long
history of
settlement and
civilization
including the Indus Valley
Civilization.
The region has been
invaded by the
Greeks,
Persians,
Arabs,
Afghans,
Turks, and
Mongols. The
territory was
incorporated into
British India in the
nineteenth century.
Since its
independence, the
country has been
characterized by
periods of
military and
economic growth
interspersed with
political
instability.

The nation was
founded officially
as the
Dominion of Pakistan
in 1947, under the
leadership of
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
and the
Muslim League,
and was renamed the
Islamic Republic
of Pakistan in 1956.
Pakistan is a
founding member of
the
Organization of the
Islamic Conference
(OIC),
South Asian
Association for
Regional Cooperation
(SAARC),
Developing 8
Countries (D8)
and
Economic Cooperation
Organization
(ECO). It is also a
member of the
United Nations
(UN),
World Trade
Organization
(WTO),
G33 developing
countries,
Group of 77
developing nations
(G77) and is a
nuclear power.

Etymology

The name
Pakistan (IPA:
[paːkɪst̪aːn])
means
Land of (the)
Pure in
Urdu and
Persian. It was
coined in 1934 as
Pakistan by
Choudhary Rahmat Ali,
who published it in
his pamphlet
Now or Never.
The name represented
the "thirty million
Muslims of
PAKISTAN,
who live in the five
Northern Units of
(British) India —
Punjab,
Afghania
(also known as
North-West Frontier
Province),
Kashmir,
Sindh,
and
Baluchistan."

History of Pakistan

The
Indus region
which covers much of
Pakistan, was the
site of several
ancient cultures
including the
Neolithic era
Mehrgarh, and
the Bronze era
Indus Valley
Civilization
(2500 BCE - 1500
BCE) at Harappa
and Mohenjo-Daro.

Waves of
conquerors and
migrants including
Harappan,
Indo-Aryan,
Persian,
Grecian,
Saka,
Parthian,
Kushan,
White Hun,
Afghan,
Arab,
Turkics, and
Mughal settled
in the region
throughout the
centuries,
influencing the
locals and being
absorbed among them.
However, while the
eastern provinces of
Punjab and Sindh
became aligned with
Indo-Islamic
civilisation,
the western areas
became culturally
allied with the
Iranic civilisation
of
Afghanistan and
Iran.
The region is a
crossroads of
historic trade
routes, including
the Silk Road. The
Indus Valley
Civilization
collapsed in the
middle of the second
millennium BCE and
was followed by the
Vedic Civilization,
which extended over
much of the Indo-Gangetic
plains. Successive
empires and kingdoms
ruled the region
from the
Achaemenid
Persian empire
around 543 BCE, to
Alexander the Great
in 326 BCE and the
Mauryan empire.
The
Indo-Greek Kingdom
founded by
Demetrius of Bactria
included
Gandhara and
Punjab from 184
BCE, and reached its
greatest extent
under
Menander,
establishing the
Greco-Buddhist
period with advances
in trade and
culture. The city of
Taxila (Takshashila)
became a major
centre of learning
in ancient times -
the remains of the
city, located to the
west of
Islamabad, are
one of the country's
major
archaeological sites.

In 712
CE, the Arab
general
Muhammad bin Qasim
conquered
Sindh and
Multan
in
southern
Punjab. The
Pakistan
government's
official chronology
states that "its
foundation was laid"
as a result of this
invasion.
This would set the
stage for several
successive Muslim
empires in the
Indian subcontinent,
including the
Ghaznavid Empire,
the
Ghorid Kingdom,
the
Delhi Sultanate
and the
Mughal Empire.
During this period,
Sufi
missionaries played
a pivotal role in
converting a
majority of the
regional Buddhist
and Hindu population
to
Islam. The
gradual decline of
the Mughal Empire in
the early eighteenth
century provided
opportunities for
the
Afghans,
Balochis and
Sikhs to
exercise control
over large areas
until the
British East India
Company
gained ascendancy
over South Asia.

Indian
Rebellion of
1857

The Indian Rebellion of
1857, also known
as the Indian
Mutiny, in 1857 was
the region's last
major armed struggle
against the British
Raj, and it laid the
foundations for the
generally unarmed
freedom struggle led
by the
Indian National
Congress in the
twentieth century.
The
All India Muslim
League rose to
popularity in the
late 1930s amid
fears of
under-representation
and neglect of
Muslims in politics.
On
29 December
1930,
Allama Iqbal's
presidential address
called for an
autonomous "state in
northwestern India
for Indian Muslims,
within the body
politic of India."
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
espoused the
Two Nation Theory
and led the Muslim
League to adopt the
Lahore Resolution
of 1940 (popularly
known as the
Pakistan Resolution),
which ultimately led
to the formation of
an independent
Pakistan. In early
1947, Britain
announced the end of
its
rule in India.

Governor
General
Jinnah
delivering the
opening
address on
11 August
1947 to
the new state
of Pakistan.

The modern state
of Pakistan was
established on
14 August
1947 with two
Muslim-majority
wings in the eastern
and northwestern
regions of the
British Indian
Empire,
separated from the
rest of the country
with a Hindu
majority, and
comprising the
provinces of
Balochistan,
East Bengal, the
North-West Frontier
Province,
West Punjab and
Sindh. The
partition of the
British Indian
Empire resulted
in communal riots
across India and
Pakistan—millions of
Muslims moved to
Pakistan and
millions of Hindus
and
Sikhs moved to
India. Disputes
arose over several
princely states
including
Muslim-majority
Jammu and Kashmir,
whose ruler had
acceded to India
following an
invasion by Pashtun
warriors, leading to
the
First Kashmir War
in 1948. From 1947
to 1956, Pakistan
was a
Dominion in the
Commonwealth of
Nations. The
republic declared in
1956 was stalled by
a
coup d'etat by
Ayub Khan
(1958–69), who was
president during a
period of internal
instability and a
second war with
India in 1965. His
successor,
Yahya Khan
(1969–71) had to
deal with the
cyclone which
caused 500,000
deaths
in East Pakistan.

Economic and
political dissent in
East Pakistan led to violent
political repression
and tensions
escalating into
civil war
(Bangladesh
Liberation War)
(see also
Causes of Separation
of East Pakistan)
and the Indo-Pakistani War
of 1971 and
ultimately the
secession of East
Pakistan as the
independent state of
Bangladesh.
Estimates of the
number of people
killed during this
episode vary
greatly, from
~30,000 to over 2
million depending on
the source.

The two
wings of
Pakistan in
1970; East Pakistan
separated from
the West wing
in 1971 as an
independent
Bangladesh.

Civilian rule
resumed from 1972 to
1977 under
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,
until he was deposed
and later sentenced
to death in what
amounted to a
judicial murder in
1979 by General
Zia-ul-Haq, who
became the country's
third military
president.
Pakistan's
secular policies
were replaced by
Zia's introduction
of the Islamic
Shariah
legal
code, which
increased religious
influences on the
civil service and
the military. With
the death of General
Zia in a plane crash
in 1988,
Benazir Bhutto,
daughter of Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto, was
elected as the first
female Prime
Minister of
Pakistan. Over the
next decade, she
alternated power
with
Nawaz Sharif, as
the country's
political and
economic situation
worsened. Pakistan
sent 5,000 troops to
the 1991
Gulf War as part
of a US led
coalition and
specifically for the
defence of Saudi Arabia.
Military tensions in
the
Kargil conflict
with India were
followed by a
Pakistani military
coup d'état in 1999
in which General Pervez Musharraf
assumed executive
powers. In 2001,
Musharraf named
himself
President after
the forced
resignation of
Rafiq Tarar.
After the 2002
parliamentary
elections, Musharraf
transferred
executive powers to
newly elected Prime
Minister Zafarullah Khan
Jamali, who was
succeeded in the
2004
Prime-Ministerial
election by Shaukat Aziz,
followed by a
temporary period in
office by Chaudhry Shujaat
Hussain. On 15th
November, 2007 the
National Assembly
completed its tenure
and so a caretaker
government was
appointed with the
former Chairman of
the Senate, Muhammad Mian Soomro
as caretaker Prime
Minister. However,
the December 2007 assassination of
Benazir Bhutto
underscores the
instability of
Pakistan's political
system. On 25th
March 2008
Yousaf Raza Gillani
was sworn in as
Prime Minister.

Government and
politics of Pakistan

The government of
Pakistan was based
on the
Government of India
Act (1935) for
the first nine years
after independence.
The first
Constitution of
Pakistan was
adopted in 1956, but
was suspended in
1958 by General
Ayub Khan. The
Constitution of
1973, was suspended
in 1977 by
Zia-ul-Haq,
re-instated in 1991
and is the country's
most important
document, laying the
foundations of
government. Pakistan
is a
semi-presidential
federal
democratic republic
with Islam
as the
state religion. The
bicameral
legislature
comprises a
100-member
Senate and a
342-member
National Assembly.
The
President is the
Head of State
and the
Commander in Chief
of the Armed Forces
and is elected by an
electoral college.
The
prime minister
is usually the
leader of the
largest party in the
National Assembly.
Each province has a
similar system of
government with a
directly elected
Provincial Assembly
in which the leader
of the largest party
or alliance becomes
Chief Minister.
Provincial Governors
are appointed by the
President.

nThe
Pakistani military
has played an
influential role in
mainstream
politics
throughout
Pakistan's history,
with military
presidents ruling
from 1958–71,
1977–88 and from
1999 onwards. The
leftist PPP, led by
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,
emerged as a major
political player
during the 1970s.
Under the military
rule of
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq,
Pakistan began a
marked shift from
the British-era
secular politics and
policies, to the
adoption of
Shariat
and
other laws based on
Islam. During the
1980s, the anti-feudal,
pro-Muttahida Qaumi
Movement (MQM)
was started by
unorthodox and
educated urban
dwellers of
Sindh and
particularly
Karachi. The
1990s were
characterized by
coalition politics
dominated by the PPP
and a rejuvenated
Muslim League.

In the October
2002 general
elections, the
Pakistan Muslim
League (Q) (PML-Q)
won a
plurality of
National Assembly
seats with the
second-largest group
being the Pakistan
Peoples Party
Parliamentarians (PPPP),
a sub-party of the
PPP.
Zafarullah Khan
Jamali of PML-Q
emerged as Prime
Minister but
resigned on
26 June
2004 and was
replaced by PML-Q
leader
Chaudhry Shujaat
Hussain as
interim Prime
Minister. On
28 August
2004 the
National Assembly
voted 191 to 151 to
elect the
Finance Minister
and former
Citibank Vice
President
Shaukat Aziz
as
Prime Minister. The
Muttahida
Majlis-e-Amal, a
coalition of Islamic
religious parties,
won elections in
North-West Frontier
Province, and
increased their
representation in
the National
Assembly - until
their defeat in the
2008 elections.

Prime
Minister's
Secretariat,
Islamabad

Pakistan is an
active member of the
United Nations
(UN) and the
Organisation of the
Islamic Conference
(OIC), the latter of
which Pakistan has
used as a forum for
Enlightened
Moderation,
a plan to promote a
renaissance and
enlightenment in
the Muslim world.
Pakistan is also a
member of the major
regional
organisations of the
South Asian
Association for
Regional
Cooperation
(SAARC) and the
Economic Cooperation
Organisation
(ECO). In the past,
Pakistan has had
mixed relations with
the United States
especially in the
early 1950s when
Pakistan was the
United States' "most
allied ally in Asia"[29]
and a member of both
the
Central Treaty
Organisation
(CENTO) and the
Southeast Asia
Treaty Organisation
(SEATO). During the
Soviet-Afghan War
in the 1980s
Pakistan was a
crucial US ally, but
relations soured in
the 1990s, when
sanctions were
applied by the US
over suspicions of
Pakistan's nuclear
activities. The
September 11, 2001
attacks and the
subsequent
War on Terrorism
have seen an
improvement in
US–Pakistan ties,
especially after
Pakistan ended its
support of the
Taliban regime
in
Kabul. This was
evidenced by a
drastic increase in
American military
aid, which saw
Pakistan take in $4
billion more in
three years after
the 9/11 attacks
than in the three
years before.

On
November 3,
2007 President
Musharraf declared
an
emergency rule
across Pakistan and
purported to suspend
the
Constitution,
imposing
martial law. In
Islamabad, troops
apparently entered
the
Supreme Court
and were surrounding
the judges' homes
and opposition
leaders like
Benazir Bhutto, Imran Khan were put
on house arrest.
Justice
Abdul Hameed Dogar
has been appointed
as the new chief
justice of Pakistan,
due to the refusal
of the
Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry to
endorse the
emergency order,
declaring it
unconstitutional,
though he himself
took oath under PCO
in 1999.[31]
In response,
Pakistan was
suspended from the
councils of the
Commonwealth of
Nations on
22 November
2007.

Subdivisions of
Pakistan

Provinces
and
territories of
Pakistan

Pakistan is a
federation
of four provinces, a
capital territory
and federally
administered tribal
areas. The
government of
Pakistan exercises
de facto
jurisdiction over
the western parts of
the disputed
Kashmir
region,
organized as two
separate political
entities (Azad
Kashmir and
Northern Areas).
Pakistan also claims
the Indian state of
Jammu and Kashmir.

The third tier of
government was
composed of 26
divisions with
two further tiers (districts
and
tehsils)
administered
directly from the
provincial level.
The divisions were
abolished in 2001[34]
and a new
three-tiered system
of local government
came into effect
comprising
districts, tehsils
and
union councils
with an elected body
at each tier. There
are currently 107
districts in
Pakistan proper,
each with several
tehsils and union
councils. The tribal
areas comprise seven
tribal agencies and
six small frontier
regions detached
from neighbouring
districts whilst
Azad Kashmir
comprises seven
districts and
Northern Areas
comprises six
districts.

Pakistan
Military & Forces

The
armed forces of
Pakistan are a
completely volunteer
force and are the
seventh largest
in the world. The
three main
components are the
Army,
Navy and
Air Force,
supported by a
number of
paramilitary forces
which carry out
internal security
roles and border
patrols. The
National Command
Authority is
responsible for
exercise employment
and development
control of all
strategic nuclear
forces and
organizations.

The Pakistan
military first saw
combat in the
First Kashmir War,
which led to the
capture of
Azad Kashmir
and
the
Northern Areas.
In 1961, the army
repelled a major
Afghan incursion
on Pakistanis western
border. In 1965,
Pakistan fought the
Second Kashmir War
with India, and in
1971 the
Indo-Pakistani War
of 1971 broke
out. In 1973, the
military quelled a
Baloch nationalist
uprising. During
the
Soviet-Afghan war,
Pakistan shot down
several intruding
aircraft, as well as
provided covert
support to the
mujahedeen through
the
Inter-Services
Intelligence
agency. In 1999,
Pakistan was
involved in the
Kargil conflict
with India.
Currently, the
military is engaged
in an
armed conflict
with Islamic
militants in the
north-east of the
country.

The Pakistani
armed forces are the
largest contributors
to
United Nations
peacekeeping
efforts, with more
than 10,000
personnel deployed
in 2007.Pakistan provided a
military contingent
to the Coalition
during the first
Gulf War and in
the past Pakistani
personnel
volunteered to serve
in the armed forces
of Arab countries
involved in
conflicts with
Israel.

Pakistan
Geography and
climate

K2, at
8,611 metres
(28,251 ft),
is the second
highest peak
in the world.

Pakistan covers
340,403 square miles
(881,640 km²),
approximately the
combined land areas
of
France and the
United Kingdom,
with its eastern
regions located on
the
Indian tectonic
plate and the
western and northern
regions on the
Iranian plateau
and
Eurasian landplate.
Apart from the
1,046 kilometre
(650 mi)
Arabian Sea
coastline,
Pakistan's land
borders total 6,774 kilometres—2,430 kilometres
(1,509 mi) with
Afghanistan to the
northwest, 523 kilometres
(325 mi) with China
to the northeast,
2,912 kilometres
(1,809 mi) with
India to the east
and 909 kilometres
(565 mi) with Iran
to the southwest.[38]

The different
types of natural
features range from
the sandy beaches,
lagoons, and
mangrove swamps
of the southern
coast to preserved
beautiful moist
temperate forests
and the icy peaks of
the
Himalaya,Karakoram and
Hindu Kush
mountains in the
north. There are an
estimated 108 peaks
above 7,000 metres
(23,000 ft) high
that are covered in
snow and
glaciers. Five
of the mountains in
Pakistan (including
Nanga Parbat)
are over 8,000 metres
(26,000 ft).
Indian-controlled
Kashmir to the
Northern Areas of
Pakistan and
running the length
of the country is
the
Indus River with
its many
tributaries. The
northern parts of
Pakistan attract a
large number of
foreign tourists. To
the west of the
Indus are the dry,
hilly deserts of
Balochistan; to
the east are the
rolling sand dunes
of the Thar Desert. The
Tharparkar
desert in the
southern province of
Sindh, is the only
fertile desert in
the world. Most
areas of Punjab and
parts of Sindh are
fertile plains where
agriculture is of
great importance.

The climate
varies as much as
the scenery, with
cold winters and hot
summers in the north
and a mild climate
in the south,
moderated by the
influence of the
ocean. The central
parts have extremely
hot summers with
temperatures rising
to 45 °C (113 °F),
followed by very
cold winters, often
falling below
freezing. Officially
the highest
temperature recorded
in Pakistan is
50.55 °C
(122.99 °F)
at Pad Idan.There is very little
rainfall ranging
from less than 250
millimetres to more
than 1,250
millimetres
(9.8–49.2 in),
mostly brought by
the unreliable
south-westerly
monsoon winds
during the late
summer. The
construction of dams
on the rivers and
the drilling of
water wells in many
drier areas have
temporarily eased
water shortages at
the expense of
down gradient
populations.

Pakistan
Flora and fauna

The
Markhor is
the national
animal of
Pakistan

The wide variety
of landscapes and
climates in Pakistan
allows for a wide
variety of wild
animals and birds.
The forests range
from
coniferous
alpine and
subalpine trees
such as spruce,
pine, and
deodar cedar in
the northern
mountains to
deciduous trees
such as the
mulberry-type
Shisham in the
Sulaiman range
in the south. The
western hills have
juniper and
tamarisk as well
as coarse grasses
and scrub plants.
Along the coast are
mangrove forests
which form much of
the coastal
wetlands.

In the south,
there are crocodiles
in the murky waters
at the mouth of the
Indus River whilst
on the banks of the
river, there are
boars, deer,
porcupines, and
small rodents. In
the sandy scrublands
of central Pakistan
are found jackals,
hyenas, wild cats,
panthers, and
leopards while the
clear blue skies
abound with hawks,
falcons, and eagles.
In the southwestern
deserts are rare
Asiatic cheetahs. In
the northern
mountains are a
variety of
endangered animals
including
Marco Polo sheep,
Urial sheep,
Markhor and
Ibex goats,
black and
brown Himalayan
bears, and the rare
Snow Leopard.
During August 2006,
Pakistan donated an
orphaned snow
leopard cub called
Leo to USA.
Another rare species
is the blind
Indus River Dolphin
of which there are
believed to be about
1,000 remaining,
protected in two
major sanctuaries.
In recent years the
number of wild
animals being killed
for fur and leather
trading led to a new
law banning the
hunting of wild
animals and birds
and the
establishment of
several wildlife
sanctuaries and game
reserves.

Pakistan Business &
Economy

Karachi
port and
harbor aerial
view

Pakistan is a
rapidly developing
country
and a major emerging
market,with an economic
growth rate of 7
percent per annum
for four consecutive
years up to 2007.
Despite being a very
poor country in
1947, Pakistan's
economic growth rate
was better than the
global average
during the
subsequent four
decades, but
imprudent policies
led to a slowdown in
the late 1990s.Recently,
wide-ranging
economic reforms
have resulted in a
stronger economic
outlook and
accelerated growth
especially in the
manufacturing
and
financial services
sectors. There
has been great
improvement in the
foreign exchange
position and rapid
growth in
hard currency
reserves in recent
years. The 2005
estimate of foreign
debt was close to
US$40 billion.
However, this has
decreased in recent
years with
assistance from the
International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and
significant
debt-relief from the
United States.
Pakistan's
gross domestic
product, as
measured by
purchasing power
parity (PPP), is
estimated to be
US$475.4 billion
while its
per capita income
(PCI) stands at
$2,942.The poverty rate in
Pakistan is
estimated to be
between 23%and 28%. Pakistan's GDP
growth rates have
seen a steady
increase over the
last 5 years.
However,
inflationary
pressures and a low
savings rate, among
other economic
factors, could make
it difficult to
sustain a high
growth rate.

Downtown
Lahore is a
major
commercial hub
in the region

The structure of
the Pakistani
economy has changed
from a mainly
agricultural base to
a strong service
base. Agriculture
now only accounts
for roughly 20% of
the GDP, while the
service sector
accounts for 53% of
the GDP with
wholesale and
retail trade
forming 30% of this
sector. In the past
few years, the
Karachi Stock
Exchange has
increased in value
along with most of
the world's
emerging markets.
Significant foreign
investments have
been made in several
areas including
tlecommunications,
real estate and
energy.
Other major
industries include
software,
automotives,
textiles,
cement,
fertilizer,
steel,
ship building,
aerospace and
arms manufacturing.

Pakistan has the
world's largest
earth filled dam
Tarbela, the
world's twelfth
largest dam
Mangla, and half
a dozen additional
dams planned.
Pakistan and
China jointly
built the world's
highest
international road:
the
Karakoram Highway.

In November of
2006
China and
Pakistan signed a
Free Trade Agreement
hoping to triple
bilateral trade from
$4.2 billion (USD)
to $15 billion (USD)
within the next five
years.Pakistan's exports
in 2007 amounted to
$20.58 billion (USD).

Pakistan
Demographics & Areas

Major
Ethnic Groups
in Pakistan

Saint
Patrick's
Cathedral
in Karachi

Pakistan has an
estimated population
of 162,508,000 as of
February 2008,
Pakistan has the
world's sixth
largest
population,
placing it higher
than
Russia, and
lower than
Brazil. Pakistan
is expected to
surpass
Brazil in
population by the
year 2020 because of
the high growth rate.
Population
projections for
Pakistan are
relatively difficult
because of the
apparent differences
in the accuracy of
each census and the
inconsistencies
between various
surveys related to
the fertility rate,
but it is likely
that the rate of
growth peaked in the
1980s and has since
declined
significantly.
The population was
estimated at
162,400,000
on
July 1,
2005, with a
fertility rate of 34
per thousand, a
death rate of 10 per
thousand, and the
rate of natural
increase at 2.4%.
Pakistan also has a
high infant
mortality rate of 70
per thousand births.

The major ethnic
groups are -
Punjabis
(44.68%
of the population),
Pashtuns (15.42%),
Sindhis
(14.1%), Seraikis
(10.53%), Muhajirs
(7.57%),
Balochis (3.57%)
and others (4.66%).
As of November 2007,
about 2 million
registered
Afghan refugees
remain in Pakistan
as a result of the
ongoing war and
instability in
Afghanistan.

Primary mother
tongue language
usage largely
corresponds to
ethnic groups.
Despite being a
native language of a
relatively small
minority,
Urdu is the
national language
and
lingua franca
of Pakistan, while
English is the
official language,
used in the
Constitution and
widely used by
corporate
businesses, the
educated urban
elite, and most
universities.
Punjabi is
spoken by over 60
million people, but
has no official
recognition in the
country.

The demographics
of religion in
Pakistan were
significantly
influenced in 1947
by the movement of
Muslims to Pakistan,
and Hindus and Sikhs
to India. Census
data indicates that
96% of the
population are
Muslims,
(nearly 77% are
Sunni Muslims
and 20% are
Shi'a Muslims).
Minority religions
include
Hinduism
(1.85%),
Christianity
(1.6%), as well as
much smaller numbers
of Sikhs (Around
0.04%),
Parsis,
Ahmadis,
Buddhists,
Jews,
Bahá'ís, and
Animists (mainly
the
Kalasha of Chitral).
Pakistan is the
second most populous
Muslim-majority
country
and also has the
second largest
Shi'a population
in the world.

PakistanEducation, Colleges
& Schools

University of
the Punjab

Education in
Pakistan is divided
into five levels:
primary (grades one
through five);
middle (grades six
through eight); high
(grades nine and
ten, leading to the
Secondary School
Certificate);
intermediate (grades
eleven and twelve,
leading to a Higher
Secondary School
Certificate); and
university programs
leading to graduate
and advanced
degrees.

Pakistan also has a
parallel secondary
school education
system in private
schools, which is
based upon the
curriculum set by
the University of
Cambridge. Some
students choose to
take the O level and
A level exams, which
are administered by
the British
Council,[68] in
place of government
exams.

There are currently
730 technical &
vocational
institutions in
Pakistan. The
minimum
qualifications to
enter male
vocational
institutions, is the
completion of grade
8. The programmes
are generally two to
three years in
length. The minimum
qualifications to
enter female
vocational
institutions, is the
completion of grade
5.

All academic
education
institutions are the
responsibility of
the provincial
governments. The
federal government
mostly assists in
curriculum
development,
accreditation and
some financing of
research.
English medium
education is to be
introduced on a
phased basis to all
schools across the
country. Through
various educational
reforms, by the year
2015, the ministry
of education expects
to attain 100%
enrolment levels
amongst primary
school aged
children, and a
literacy rate of 86%
amongst people aged
over 10.

Pakistan
Society and culture

Pakistan has a
rich and unique
culture that has
preserved
established
traditions
throughout history.
Many cultural
practices, foods,
monuments, and
shrines were
inherited from the
rule of Muslim
Mughal and Afghan
emperors. The
national dress of
shalwar qamiz is
originally of
Central Asian origin
derived from Turko-Iranian
nomadic invaders and
is today worn in all
parts of Pakistan.
Women wear brightly
coloured shalwar
qamiz, while men
often wear solid-coloured
ones. In cities
western dress is
also popular among
the youth and the
business sector.

Pakistani society
is largely
multilingual and
predominantly
Muslim, with high
regard for
traditional family
values, although
urban families have
grown into a nuclear
family system due to
the socio-economic
constraints imposed
by the traditional
joint family system.
Recent decades have
seen the emergence
of a middle class in
cities like Karachi,
Lahore,
Rawalpindi,
Hyderabad,
Faisalabad, and
Peshawar that
wish to move in a
more liberal
direction, as
opposed to the
northwestern regions
bordering
Afghanistan that
remain highly
conservative and
dominated by
centuries-old
regional tribal
customs. Increasing
globalization has
increased the
influence of
"Western culture"
with Pakistan
ranking 46th on the
A.T. Kearney/FP
Globalization Index.
There are an
approximated four
million Pakistanis
living abroad, with
close to a
half-million
expatriates living
in the United States
and around a million
living in Saudi
Arabia. As well as
nearly one million
people of Pakistani
descent in the
United Kingdom,
there are burgeoning
cultural
connections.

Pakistan
Music

The variety of
Pakistani music
ranges from diverse
provincial
folk music and
traditional styles
such as
Qawwali
and
Ghazal Gayaki to
modern forms fusing
traditional and
western music, such
as the
synchronization of
Qawwali and western
music by the world
renowned
Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan. In
addition Pakistan is
home to many famous
folk singers such as
the late Alam Lohar,
who is also well
known in Indian
Punjab. The arrival
of Afghan refugees
in the western
provinces has
rekindled Pashto and
Persian music and
established Peshawar
as a hub for Afghan
musicians and a
distribution centre
for Afghan music
abroad.

PakistanPopular media

Until the 1990s,
the state-owned
Pakistan Television
Corporation (PTV)
and Pakistan
Broadcasting
Corporation were
the dominant media
outlets, but there
are now numerous
private television
channels. Various
American, European,
and Asian television
channels and films
are available to the
majority of the
Pakistani
population via
private Television
Networks, cable, and
satellite
television. There
are also small
indigenous film
industries based in
Lahore and Peshawar
(often referred to
as Lollywood).
Although Bollywood
films have been
banned from being
played in public
cinemas since 1965,
Indian film stars
are still generally
popular in Pakistan
due to the fact that
Pakistanis are
easily able to buy
Bollywood films from
local shops for
private home
viewing. But
recently Pakistan
allowed selected
Bollywood films
to be shown in
Pakistani cinemas.

Pakistan
Holidays

Kites being
sold before
the basant
festival

There are many
festivals celebrated
annually in Pakistan
which may or may not
observe as holidays
e.g. Pakistan Day
(23 March),
Independence Day (14
August), Defence of
Pakistan Day (6
September), Pakistan
Air Force Day (7
September), the
anniversaries of the
birth (25
December)(holiday)
and death (11
September) of
Quaid-e-Azam, (Allama
Iqbal (9 November)
and the birth (30
July) and death (8
July) of
Madar-e-Millat.
Labour Day (also
known as May Day) is
also observed in
Pakistan on May 1
(holiday). Several
important festivals
are celebrated by
Pakistani Muslims
during the year,
dependent on the
Islamic calendar.
Ramadan, the ninth
month of the
calendar, is
characterised by
daytime fasting for
29 or 30 days and is
followed by the
festival of Eid
ul-Fitr. In a second
festival, Eid
ul-Adha, an animal
is sacrificed in
remembrance of the
actions of Prophet
Abraham (Arabic:
Ibrahim) and the
meat is shared with
friends, family, and
the less fortunate.
Both Eid festivals
are public holidays,
serving as
opportunities for
people to visit
family and friends,
and for children to
receive new clothes,
presents, and
sweets. Muslims
celebrate
Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi,
the birthday of the
prophet Muhammad, in
the third month of
the calendar (Rabi'
al-Awwal). Muslims
mark the Day of
Ashurah on the 9th
and 10th days of the
first month
(Muharram) to
commemorate the
martyrdom of Husayn
bin Ali.

Hindus,
Buddhists, Sikhs,
and Christians in
Pakistan also
celebrate their own
festivals and
holidays. Sikhs come
from across the
world to visit
several holy sites
in Punjab, including
the shrine of Guru
Nanak, the founder
of Sikhism, at Hasan
Abdal in Attock
District, and his
birthplace, at
Nankana Sahib. There
are also several
regional and local
festivals, such as
the Punjabi festival
of Basant, which
marks the start of
spring and is
celebrated by kite
flying.

Pakistan
Sports

Cricket is
the most
popular sport
in Pakistan

The official and
national sport of
Pakistan is field
hockey, although
cricket is more
popular. The
national cricket
team has won the
Cricket World Cup
once (in 1992),
were runners-up once
(in 1999), and
co-hosted the games
twice (in 1987 and
1996). Pakistan were
runners-up in the
inaugural 2007
ICC World
Twenty20 held in
South Africa.
Pakistan was chosen
to host the 2008 ICC
Champions Trophy
cricket tournament
and co-host the 2011
Cricket World Cup,
with Sri Lanka,
India, and
Bangladesh. Other
popular sports in
Pakistan include
football, and
squash. Squash is
another sport that
Pakistanis have
excelled in, with
successful
world-class squash
players such as
Jahangir Khan and
Jansher Khan
winning the World
Open several times
during their
careers.

At an
international level,
Pakistan has
competed many times
at the Summer
Olympics in field
hockey, boxing,
athletics, swimming,
and shooting.
Pakistan's medal
tally remains at 10
medals (3 gold, 3
silver and 4 bronze)
while at the
Commonwealth Games
and Asian Games it
stands at 61 medals
and 182 medals
respectively. Hockey
is the sport in
which Pakistan has
been most successful
at the Olympics,
with three gold
medals in (1960,
1968, and 1984).
Pakistan has also
won the Hockey World
Cup a record four
times (1971, 1978,
1982, 1994).[81]
Pakistan has also
hosted several
international
competitions,
including the SAF
Games in 1989 and
2004.

The Motorsport
Association of
Pakistan is a member
of the
Fédération
Internationale de
l'Automobile.
The Freedom Rally is
a yearly off-road
race which takes
place during the
Independence
celebrations.

PakistanArchitecture

The architecture
of the areas now
constituting
Pakistan can be
designated to four
distinct periods —
pre-Islamic,
Islamic, colonial
and post-colonial.
With the beginning
of the Indus
civilization around
the middle of the
3rd millennium[82]
B.C., an advanced
urban culture
developed for the
first time in the
region, with large
structural
facilities, some of
which survive to
this day.[83]Mohenjo
Daro, Harappa and
Kot Diji belong to
the pre-Islamic era
settlements. The
rise of Buddhism and
the Persian and
Greek influence led
to the development
of the
Greco-Buddhist
style, starting from
the 1st century CE.
The high point of
this era was reached
with the culmination
of the Gandhara
style. An example of
Buddhist
architecture is the
ruins of the
Buddhist monastery
Takht-i-Bahi in the
northwest province.
The arrival of Islam
in today's Pakistan
meant a sudden end
of Buddhist
architecture.[84]
However, a smooth
transition to
predominantly
pictureless Islamic
architecture
occurred. The most
important of the few
completely
discovered buildings
of Persian style is
the tomb of the Shah
Rukn-i-Alam in
Multan. During the
Mughal era design
elements of
Islamic-Persian
architecture were
fused with and often
produced playful
forms of the
Hindustani art.
Lahore, occasional
residence of Mughal
rulers, exhibits a
multiplicity of
important buildings
from the empire,
among them the
Badshahi mosque, the
fortress of Lahore
with the famous
Alamgiri Gate, the
colourful, still
strongly Persian
seeming Wazir Khan
Mosque as well as
numerous other
mosques and
mausoleums. Also the
Shahjahan Mosque of
Thatta in Sindh
originates from the
epoch of the Mughals.
In the British
colonial age
predominantly
representative
buildings of the
Indo-European style
developed, from a
mixture of European
and Indian-Islamic
components.
Post-colonial
national identity is
expressed in modern
structures like the
Faisal Mosque, the
Minar-e-Pakistan and
the Mazar-e-Quaid.

Pakistan
Literature

Iqbal, the
national poet
of Pakistan

The literature of
Pakistan covers the
literatures of
languages spread
throughout the
country, namely
Urdu, Sindhi,
Punjabi, Pushto,
Baluchi as well as
English[85] in
recent times and in
the past often
Persian as well.
Prior to the 19th
century, the
literature mainly
consisted of lyric
poetry and
religious, mystical
and popular
materials. During
the colonial age the
native seal under
the influence of the
western literature
of realism took up
increasingly
different topics and
telling forms. Today
short stories enjoy
a special
popularity.[86] The
national poet of
Pakistan, Muhammad
Iqbal, wrote mainly
in the Persian
language, and
additionally in
Urdu. His works are
concerned mostly
with Islamic
philosophy. Iqbal's
most well-known work
is the Persian poem
volume Asrar-i-Khudi
("the secrets of the
even"). The most
famous works of Urdu
literature
originated in the
14th century.[87]
The most well-known
representative of
the contemporary
Urdu literature of
Pakistan is Faiz
Ahmed Faiz. Sufi
Shah Abdul Latif is
considered one of
the most outstanding
mystical poets.[88]
Mirza Kalich Beg has
been termed the
father of modern
Sindhi prose.[89] In
Punjabi, naats and
qawaalis are
delivered. The
Pushto literature
tradition is a
cultural link
between Pakistan and
neighbouring
Afghanistan.
Extensive lyric
poetry and epic
poems have been
published in Pushto.
In Baluchi language
songs and ballads
are popular.

PakistanTourism

The Lahore
Fort, was
rebuilt by the
Mughal emperor
Akbar in 1566.

Tourism is a
growing industry in
Pakistan, based on
its diverse
cultures, peoples
and
landscapes[citation
needed]. The variety
of attractions range
from the ruins of
ancient
civilisations such
as Mohenjo-daro,
Harappa and Taxila,
to the Himalayan
hill stations, which
attract those
interested in field
and winter sports.
Pakistan is home to
several mountain
peaks over 7,000 metres
(22,970 ft), which
attracts adventurers
and mountaineers
from around the
world, especially
K2.[90] The people
of northern areas
depend on tourism
also. From April to
September tourist of
domestic and
international type
visited these areas
which became the
earn of living for
local people. The
northern parts of
Pakistan have many
old fortresses,
towers and other
architecture as well
as the Hunza and
Chitral valleys, the
latter being home to
the Kalash, a small
pre-Islamic Animist
community, who claim
descent from the
army of Alexander
the Great. In the
Punjab is the site
of Alexander's
battle on the Jhelum
River and the
historic city
Lahore, Pakistan's
cultural capital
with many examples
of Mughal
architecture such as
the Badshahi Masjid,
Shalimar Gardens,
Tomb of Jahangir and
the Lahore Fort. To
promote Pakistan's
unique and various
cultural heritage,
the prime minister
launched "Visit
Pakistan 2007".